Which dam (Hoover or Davis)?

[silverback]

We're heading west to Death Valley NP in February and I'm wondering which Colorado river dam is easier to tow across. We went over Hoover dam with the 22' CCD (2003) but it was a bit tight. Does anyone know if they finished the bypass bridge? The alternative route is through Laughlin over Davis dam. We've never been that way (so I'm kind of leaning toward that route). Has anyone crossed there? Is there a bridge?
Thanks,
KL

[Charlie M]

KL; The bridge bypass is not finished yet, late '08. I just came through there on 1/15/07 a Monday (holiday) at about 11:30a.m, a quick stop at the inspection station and on my way.

The Davis Dam is near Laughlin, NV and that is where the bridge is located. If you do the detour route it is approximately 40 miles longer but no stopping for the inspection station or if the crowds are present visiting the dam they make travel very slow. The last ten times I have travelled into AZ I used the Laughlin route nine of those times. I don't mind the 40 extra miles. In fact we usually stop and get a bite at one of the casinos.

[azflycaster]

I would not take either of the dams across the Colorado. Because of Homeland Security you must pass through a security checkpoint and will cost you time. I would cross at the bridge in Laughlin which is the most direct way to go and plenty wide enough for towing. Years ago (before the bridge) I crossed at the Davis Dam to get to Laughlin, it takes you out of the way about 10 miles.

[silverback]

Laughlin it is. I wasn't exactly sure there was a bridge so this was just what I needed to know.
-KL

[JimGolden]

There's a way-cool car museum by Laughlin that you should check out too. They used to have The Big Red One there. Don't know if you've heard of this car or not, but it's pretty famous in hot rod circles.

Big Red is a "69 Camaro" that won the Silverstate Classic race through the desert back in the late 80's. The SS Classic is a race on a desert road that the cops block off. It's right around 100 miles long. You pay something like $400 to enter and the cars are run in classes. Anyway, there's all kinds of Porsche's, Ferrari's, even Lamborghini's. So, back in '88 I think it was, all this exotic hardware is there to run the race. And all the exoti-snobs are looking at their high priced euromachinery when a thunderous sound is heard. Out of a trailer backs a red '69 Camaro. What Brute would bring a muscle car to a race like this? Well as it turned out, Big Red waxed them all, and by a large margin.

It's a really wicked car. It's a full tube frame with '69 Camaro sheet metal hanging off it. It's packing a V8 that's around 540 cubes and makes way over 700hp. They clocked him at around 200mph in some of the straights.

Big Red's record stood for about a decade or so when it was finally broken by a guy with a "Chrylser LeBaron." The LeBaron was basically like Big Red, a Cup type car with LeBaron sheetmetal hanging off it and a huge engine.

Anyway, Big Red used to be at a museum in Laughlin. It'd be worth stopping in to see if it's still there. The car has been run recently, however, so it may not be stored there anymore.

BTW - not sure if they still do it, but I went down inside Hoover dam a few years ago. It was pretty cool. Somebody told me that in the last year or so they reactivated the pill boxes that surround it and actually have guys in there with machine guns, just like during WWII. Not sure if it's true; haven't been out there in a few years.

Have fun!

[nilesrob]

We crossed Hoover Dam this past November on our way to Death Valley - awesome! There was a security check, but it took two seconds. I'd go that way again in a heartbeat!

And Death Valley is spectacular - if you have not been, you are in for a treat!

[Zeppelinium]

I'd go the Hoover Dam route, no question. It's spectacular, day or night, maybe even better at night and less traffic. The new bridge is not done but the sight of it being built is awesome. The inspection takes 3 minutes if there isn't a line. The road through Laughlin is OK, but I really don't care for the steep descent (not that bad really, just take the diesel out of overdrive and speed is undre control, it's just the going down I don't like, knowing there is an "up" not too far away) from the east and the long climb back out on the west.

Unless, (?), you want to take a left on 93, head down to the old route 66 to Goffs, take I-40 until you can turn north to Kelso in the Mojave Preserve, go up over the Cima Dome to reach I-15, head a few miles north to State Line, hit the factory stores (Tommy Bahama! etc.), go to Jean for prime rib and no hassle parking/camping in the parking lot. Then it's just a 30 minute shot to Vegas. But that's just a guess.

Zep

[azflycaster]

The last time I went over the Hoover Dam, the check point took 3 minutes also (no trailer). It took 30 minutes in line to get to the inspection station and another 30 minutes to clear the dam. I have also seen RV's for what ever reason parked off to the side of the inspection station. These RV's were being examined by several dogs and men with flak vests and baseball caps. I can't wait for the bridge to be finished!